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SN children

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Original poster

DAFOs, shopping trollies and other people's houses - HELP!

30 replies

Howlingbellyofbeelzebub · 31/10/2008 09:23

dd2 wears DAFOs for her CP. She is a petite 2.5 and easily fits in the toddler bit of a supermarket trolley, however, I can get her in but really struggle to get her out. Her trainers that fit over her DAFOs are quite bulky and also as she doesn't have great leg control she can't bend her legs and help me to get her out. She just kind of hangs still attached to the trolley. Yesterday I had to grab a random passer by to help push her legs up whilst I pulled. It's not fair. - there is one of those special trollies for an older SN child which would be great for dd but it's obviously been around for years and is huge and unsteerable (wasn't available yesterday anyway). It's such an arse, how are you meant to go shopping with a disabled child? If she's in her pushchair then I can only buy what I can fit in a basket.

Also, what do you do at people's houses who take of shoes as soon as they get in the house? dd is in her DAFOs and shoes all day at home as she needs to wear them. We went to a friends house and it was a 'shoes off' house. I left dd's shoes and DAFOs on and later on when they were playing upstairs my friend's little girl came down and said 'I've taken dd's shoes off as we're not allowed to wear shoes in this house' - so I found poor dd skating around in just her DAFOs. .

And whilst I'm asking all of these things! - Wellingtons? what on earth do you do when you have a little one in AFOs/DAFOs and they want to splash in muddy puddles like peppa pig. Now dd is partially mobile with her Kaye walker she wants to do exactly the same stuff as dd1 and it's hard explaining why she can't

OP posts:

sadbarratthomeowner · 31/10/2008 09:29

Supermarkets are hopeless re SN trollies. My local one hasn't got one at the moment as it has been vandalised . I avoid shopping with dd2 (wears DAFOs too) if at all possible. Otherwise, dd1 has to push her round in her buggy, while I do the trolley which is also a nightmare (we take up a lot of space and people tut ).

needmorecoffee · 31/10/2008 09:36

I push the wheelchair and pull a normal shopping trolley or get a member of staff to come with me. DD is like a limp noodle and cant sit int hose trolleys.

Can she not wear larger wellies? dd has dafo's but she can't walk so we don't bother with shoes n stuff but in her standing frame they put her in outside sandals just to keep the foor in place.

Cocodrillo · 31/10/2008 09:42

If I'm at a friend's house I make it clear that my DD2 needs to keep her shoes on or she will fall over constantly. Surely your friend will see the logic of making an exception for your disabled child???!!!

Original poster

Howlingbellyofbeelzebub · 31/10/2008 09:58

my friend was fine with dd keeping her dafos on, it was just the other little girl and also that dd notices she's the only one in shoes and wants to be the same as all the others. I think I might buy her some special slippers to wear with her dafos when we're somewhere like that.

OP posts:

needmorecoffee · 31/10/2008 09:59

we are a shoes off house but I would make exception for a disabled child although would check the bottoms of the shoes. DD has quad CP and lies on the floor all the time so we don't like shoes but clean shoes are ok.

Cocodrillo · 31/10/2008 10:01

I was thinking slippers, but they'd have to be so wide and supportive. Wonder if any SN sites do them?

Sorry your DD is feeling "different", I'm dreading when that happens.

Original poster

Howlingbellyofbeelzebub · 31/10/2008 10:13

she's a really plucky little girl, is even being the ballet show in january and will be using her kaye walker on stage but sometimes it makes me cross that she is always 'out there' and gets loads of attention, sometimes it's nice as a kid to just be exactly the same and blend into the background a bit. It's hard to take on board that she will always be noticed and will never just be part of the crowd. She's fine at the moment wearing her dafos and using her walker but I'm sure there will come a time when she gets fed up with it all.

OP posts:

chatee · 31/10/2008 11:11

please if you do find wellingtons to wear over afo's please let me know too(dd is desperate)
for slippers- i found a pair in lidl last week that are boot style(and kind of wrapped with velcro)to allow the space needed to wear with afo's and more importantly my dd is thrilled to bits with them as this is the first pair of slippers she has managed to keep on her feet....i was really happy as they were only£2.49 so am going back for the next couple of sizes too
as for supermarket trollies and(parking)i was so glad when dd started at nursery part time and would do my shopping then other than that i would get an internet shop once a mnth with all bulky items on.

ewwwmy2shoesarefullofblood · 31/10/2008 11:18

in the shops, keep her in the buggy and ask for a staff member to push the trolley(I have done that)
in someones house. tell the parents/children that your dd keeps her shoes on.

ems7 · 31/10/2008 11:18

A while ago I spoke to Tesco about issues with shopping trollies. They said to contact the mananger of the store and they would arrange for someone to come out and measure dd so that they could source an appropriate trolley for her. They then said that this would be kept at the store for our use.

I called twice to check the info and both customer service assistants said the same thing.

Might be worth a try at your local supermarket.

ewwwmy2shoesarefullofblood · 31/10/2008 11:19

I leave dd's shoes on as she needs them to protect her feet. she doesn't walk so her shoes don't get "dirty"

Cocodrillo · 31/10/2008 11:42

Thanks for this thread, Howlingbelly.

I never thought of doing anything but removing DD's AFO/shoes before putting her in trolley. Must be more pushy!

Also, must get to Lidl.

It's great about the ballet show, that's lovely . It's slways bittersweet though, isn't it. DD1 loves her ballet lessons, and I can see a day when DD2 wants to do it too.

HairyMaclary · 31/10/2008 12:27

Hi, exactly the same issues here. I now do intenet shopping, couldn't fit DS1 3.5 with CP, AFO etc etc and Ds2 16 months in a shopping trolley at all, let alone get them out. Got seriously ocncerned once that we were going to have to take a hacksaw to the trolley to get DS1 out so no more of that!
Wellingtons, I got some for DS1 about 3 sizes too big from Woolies. The cheaper brands are more stretchy so they can just about be pulled over the splints. I did hear about another type froma friend, will dig it out and post later.
We are a shoes on house for exactly the reason you mention, when going to other peoples houses I wouldn't let it be an option!

PheasantPlucker · 31/10/2008 12:28

I always ask the owner of the house if we can keep dd's Piedros and splints on, and it hasn't been a problem - it is dd who then wants to take them off to be like the others!
I do internet shopping now, the stress of taking dd1 and dd2 is too much! (We don't have a car either, so it's hard to get lots fo shopping at any one time) I will shop on my own when they are at school, and am so sad I actually rather enjoy it!

HairyMaclary · 31/10/2008 12:30

regarding slippers, I have heard that Piedro (of boots fame!) also do slippers. Ds1 wears AFO's and piedro's, not together, so I have thought of getting some. Haven't done it yet though, so must try and follow it up!

PheasantPlucker · 31/10/2008 12:57

Let us know if you track some down (slippers)

needmorecoffee · 31/10/2008 16:31

Why do those with non-walkers put shoes on them? Just curious.

LollipopViolet · 31/10/2008 17:06

Actually, I've wondered that myself. My uncle is tetraplegic (big word lol!) and the only time he wears shoes is when he's out, because society expects grown men to wear shoes outside. Plus if he didn't you'd see his luminous green socks!

needmorecoffee · 31/10/2008 17:34

I've never put dd in shoes but have realised that most of my friends with kids with CP who are non-walkers are all in shoes. Seems like a wssdte of money to me! She can't walk, why bother? She does wear knitted socks in the winter to keep her feet warm.

Blu · 31/10/2008 18:08

I have always explained that DS needed to keep his shoes on - firstly because of teh AFO, then because without his one big raise he couldn't walk. But I offered wo wipe the soles with baby wipes bef0ore he went upstairs etc.

Also - and this is where I had a HUGE battle when our PCT 'externalised' the orthotics service - I insisted we always had 2 pairs of Piedros. Then we could keep one for clean / best to put on if one pair got muddy in the way to someone's house, or just soaking generally.

We managed with a size-too-big wellies over the AFO, but once he needed his big shoe raise to walk, I kept his most recent cast off pair of Ppiedros for 'wet wear', and he went in the sea, streams etc in those, right over his feet, and then changed out of them.

ouryve · 31/10/2008 18:24

DS1's impulse control often goes all out of the window in a supermarket but at almost 5 and big with it, he's getting to big to squeeze into a trolley when he plays up. Times like that I really wish supermarkets had those big american style trolleys with the bench on the outside.

anonandlikeit · 31/10/2008 21:04

Supermarkets - I would sit ds2 in the trolley rather than the seat, if i got carried away he would be almost buried by the time i got to the checkout.
He's 5 now & impossible to lift in & out as he is HUGE so he goes in his m/buggy & I bribe ask ds1 to push the trolley, although tbh i normally try to go alone.
Wellies - i've never solved that one although at the sn preschool there was a little girl with lovely pink wellies, her mum had cut half way down the back seem & made lace holes & laced them back up with pink ribbon. She said it worked fine as long as the puddles weren't too deep.
As for other peoples houses, I check his feet, if they are clean I ask if he can leave them on. So far everyone has been OK. DS2 doesn't seem to notice any difference between him & other children.

glitteryb6 · 31/10/2008 22:37

NMC Ds wears shoes, mostly trainers, and purely for decoration purposes

I suppose he is like most other wee boys in that if we go near a sports shop he is angling to go in for a look at the trainers, he only likes Reebok or Nikes and wont even look at Puma or anything else!

Last purchase was a pair of Reeboks with green and blue flashing lights which is ironic as he cant stamp his feet so i have to do it for him but he loves them

The good thing is they last forever as he doesnt wear them out and he's been in the same size for ages but I do always try to steer him towards the sale ones!

supportman · 31/10/2008 23:19

Just a thought, but would the shopping trolleys that attach to wheelchairs attach to her buggy?

needmorecoffee · 01/11/2008 09:13

dd is too blind to have noticed her feet are shoeless or that shoes actually exist Glittery. Saves me a fortune and given she still doesn't have a communication aid she can't tell if I'm wrong!!
Having thought about it, I don't think I've been in a shoe shop with her. The boys go and buy their own shoes once a year and I never buy shoes.

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